1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system with a push-scan function, and an image processing apparatus and an image processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with the increase in networked appliances including household electrical appliances, there have been standardized communication protocols to be used between apparatuses over a network, apparatus discovery mechanisms, and apparatus installation mechanisms. This is also true for specifications of services including those provided by image processing apparatus such as printers (for printing) and scanners (for image reading). There have further been normalized standard communication protocols for using network equipment more universally from a client PC and the services for using devices more simply. They may include WSD (Web Services For Devices) and UPnP (Universal Plug & Play) (registered trademark).
WSD is a standard specification defined for meeting requests for various services using those devices. WSD basically uses a web service architecture and provides a standardized communication protocol set, printing services and scan services. WSD applies a standard communication protocol set over a network for allowing interconnection between devices based on a web service. WSD defines the components of a Web Services For Devices, including device discovery (DISCOVERY), device information presentation (DESCRIPTION), device control (CONTROL), and device event notification (EVENTING).
PnP-X (Plug And Play Extensions) service proposed by MICROSOFT for devices connected over a network may be used to easily install a device driver to a client PC supporting PnP-X.
PnP (plug and play) service in the past works when devices and a client PC are connected to various local I/O ports directly via cables and connectors. In PnP, a device transmits a model name (or device ID) or a manufacturer name (or vendor ID), a serial number and so on to a host PC. With reference to the received information device, the host PC may automatically install a device driver for using the device to the client.
Scan services are defined in Scan Service Definition Version 1.0 For WSD.
In this way, there have been provided interconnectivity services between a client PC using a scan service and a scanner that provides scanning with the scan service.
The WSD standard scan service defines commands and events for using the scan service in a language based on the format conforming to WSD. The WSD standard scan service further defines two scanning forms of pull scan and push scan.
In both of the forms, an image processing apparatus performs image processing (or scanning) in accordance with an event request command issued by a client PC. In pull scan, image processing (or scanning) is performed when a client PC issues an event request command. In push scan on the other hand, the transmission of an event start command for push scan instructed by a user with a button or the like on an image processing apparatus triggers the issuance of the event request command from a client PC, and the image processing (or scanning) is performed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-38016 discloses a technology that enables a client PC to identify a service which can be provided by a device connected to a client PC. The data processing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-38016 includes an equipment information acquisition device that acquires the presence of devices such as a hard disk, a finisher and a duplex processor and detail information. In accordance with the acquired presence of devices and detail information, a WSDL file for the data processing apparatus is generated, and the generated WSDL file is transmitted to the information processing apparatus. In other words, the connection of devices and the services that can be provided by the devices are detected, and the information is transmitted to the client PC. This enables the client PC to identify the services provided by the devices.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-38016 discloses the technology that, in a scanner that provides WSD standard scan services, enables a client PC to identify changes in services that can be provided by optional devices such as an ADF unit and a film guide based on the connection states of the devices.
However, WSD scan services define that the value of a parameter being an individual set value for a service that can be provided by a scanner is to be specified on the client PC side. Thus, even when a user trying to implement push scan sets a scan parameter on a panel attached to the scanner, the scan parameter is not set on the client PC. As a result, the scan request command issued by the client PC does not reflect the scan parameter set by the user.
In other words, in push scan with the WSD protocol, it is difficult to use the parameter specified by a user on a control panel that is selected by the user, for scanning.